Hello, friends! Can you believe another month has gone by? 2014 is already a third of the way over, and I’m still not used to writing “2014” when I write the date. It’s crazy! This year is going by so quickly, and April was no exception. It’s been a good month. Here’s what I’ve been up to.
First of all, I saw a lot of movies in April, all in the same week. I saw Divergent on $5 movie day, which as fun. I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier when it premiered. Seeing it at 8:00 on a Thursday night wasn’t quite the same as a midnight premiere, but it was still a really good movie. Merge saw Noah together. And I went with groundZERO to see God’s Not Dead and wrote up a nice little review of what I thought about it. Overall, April was a good month for movies, and I saw a lot of them.
I celebrated Easter by dying eggs with Aiden, which he really enjoyed. He was upset when we ran out of eggs to dye. On Easter morning, I led children’s services at Ozark Free Will Baptist. It was a lot of fun. We had 30 kids in service, and they were all very good. We sang and talked about Jesus. I may or may not have given out a ton of candy. I just really love working with kids.
Last weekend was Arkansas Free Will Baptist State competition, and I was asked to judge Memorization. It was cool seeing all the kids use their talents for the Lord. I loved competing when I was kid, and it’s nice to still be a part of the whole process now. I was really proud of everyone involved.
Of course, I spent a lot of time with Aiden this month. This past Sunday, we celebrated his birthday by taking him to Chuck E. Cheese’s. He had a blast. We played every game in that place involving a ball, and he left with a huge new ball to play with. I’m really glad I got to be there to celebrate his second birthday. I can’t believe how old he’s getting!
I’m almost completely done with my thesis now. I submitted my final version and did a presentation on it this month. Now all that’s left to do is defend it next week, and then I’ll be finished with it forever.
Those are the big things that happened this month. It was a good one! May is going to be exciting with finals, graduation, and moving back home. I’ll be back in about to let you all know how it went. Thank you guys for reading and playing a part in this wonderful journey. I hope all is well with you, and I’ll talk to you soon!
Growing up, I was taught not to expect things from God. After all, He doesn’t owe me anything. I could ask Him for things, but I couldn’t demand them or even expect that He would give them to me. My prayer life mostly consisted of me saying, “God, if this is your will, please let [insert thing here] happen.” And that was the end of it.
But I think that in reality, Christians can—and should—expect certain things from God. I think that if we did, we could live out our faith in a much more powerful way. Expecting things from God doesn’t mean we make demands of Him or try to pressure Him into giving us certain things. It means we take Him at His word and trust that when He promises us something, we can live our lives as if that thing is going to happen, even if we can’t see it.
At my church, we are currently doing a series called “Don’t Be Afraid.” This Sunday, my pastor, Bro. Will Harmon, urged us to live without fear and instead depend on God’s promises. This is something that all Christians need to take to heart. When we’re depending on God’s promises, we can expect that God is going to do certain things for us and live with those things as realities in our lives. Here are just a few of them.
He will always love us.
As Christians, we should expect God to love us unconditionally. Not because we deserve it, but because He promised us that He would. Romans 8:38–39 tells us, “For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” God’s love for us is unfailing, and it is in no way tied to anything we have done or ever could do. He loves us. We can expect that He is always going to love us. If we as Christians would live our lives with that expectation, we would be free from the fear of failing God or of ever being unloved.
He will always provide our needs.
We worry so much about our basic needs. We stress out about working hard enough to make enough money to pay the bills so that we can do it all over again next month. God doesn’t want us to live like that. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 6:31–33, “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” If we’re seeking God first, He’ll take care of our basic needs. We don’t have to stress about those things because the One who created everything can and will provide for us. If we live with the expectation that God is going to take of our needs, we can shift our focus from taking care of ourselves to wholly seeking Him.
He will always be with us.
I remember as a kid every time I went on a church trip, we would say a prayer before we left. And every time, the person praying would say, “Lord, please be with us as we go to [insert place here].” I’m not saying that’s a bad thing to pray for. I’m just saying it’s something that we can always expect from God. Hebrews 13:5 tells us, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” No matter where we go, God is with us. We can depend on that. We can expect that. We don’t have to sit around and wonder whether or not God will be with us if we go to such-and-such place. We can just go and expect that He’s going to be with us. How much more bold and brave would Christians be if we truly expected that God would be with us no matter where we went? How far could we go in His name if we just expected Him to go with us?
These are just a few of the many things that we can and should expect from God. He doesn’t mind that we expect them from Him. In fact, He gave us these so promises that we would live our lives in full expectation that He is going to fulfill them. We don’t need evidence beforehand to know that God’s going to keep His promises. He’s shown Himself to be true throughout the centuries. Let’s just take Him at His word, expect that He’s going to do what He said He would do, and live our lives as if His word is true.
In December 2011, I finally sat down and did something that every person should do at least once his or her life: I watched the Star Wars films. I was instantly hooked. I kicked myself for waiting so long to experience something so utterly cool and groundbreaking. I watched all six movies twice in one week, and I went online to read everything I could about them. I was officially a Star Wars fan.
Now I’m still relatively new to the Star Wars fandom compared to people who have been fans since A New Hope released or people my age who have been watching Star Wars since they were babies. I’m not pretending that I know everything (or even very much) about the Star Wars universe. And I’m not here to step on any toes. But I do think now may be the best time ever to be a Star Wars fan, and I’m hoping that by the end of this little blog post, you’ll agree with me.
I truly wish that I could go back to 1977 and experience Star Wars in its original form. To be there in the theater, to see those special effects when they were cutting-edge, to walk out not knowing what was going to happen next, nothing compares to that. And I would give anything to experience the shock of hearing, “No, I am your father!” in The Empire Strikes Back without expecting it. Experiencing Star Wars that way is something I’ll never understand, and I’m jealous of those of you who were fortunate enough to do so. But if anything can measure up to the excitement of being a Star Wars fan then, it’s being a Star Wars fan now.
There are just so many exciting things going on in the Star Wars world right now. Ever since LucasFilm was purchased by Disney in 2012, they have been slowly but surely making announcements about their plans for the company and for the Star Wars universe itself. Some fans are still pretty skeptical about the whole thing, but I’m personally excited.
First off, we have more movies! Episode VII is coming in December 2015 with Episodes VIII and IX to follow. We still don’t know much about these new movies other than that they take place 30 years after Return of the Jedi and are being directed by J.J. Abrams. I think that in the coming months, we’ll hear more about casting and maybe a little bit about the plot, but even without those details, I think this movie is shaping up pretty well. I trust J.J. Abrams, and I can’t wait to find out what happens after ROTJ.
But those aren’t the only Star Wars movies coming our way. Disney has also announced two spinoff Star Wars films. The general consensus among Star Wars fans is that these movies will probably center around Han Solo and Boba Fett, two characters that I think both are interesting enough to deserve their own films. If these films are successful, they could lead to even more spinoffs outside of the sequel trilogy. I think we could start getting a new Star Wars movie every year starting in 2015.
Some people might be skeptical of this. If they make a new Star Wars movie every year, how are they going to keep the quality standard high? For the answer to that question, I would point them to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which also happens to be owned by Disney, and puts out two successful movies each year. Other studios are starting to see that this model is not only viable but also very successful, and they’re trying to create their own cinematic universes with releases each year. I think it makes sense that Star Wars, with its vast universe of characters and story lines, would jump on board.
But the Star Wars universe isn’t limited to just movies. It all began on the big screen, but Star Wars has spread to multiple formats. The animated TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars recently ended, and the creators are getting ready to release a new show, called Star Wars Rebels, in the fall. The show will take place between Episodes III and IV, and it will tell the story of how the Rebel Alliance was formed. So while we’re waiting for more Star Wars movies, we can learn more about the Star Wars universe through television. To me, that’s pretty cool.
But possibly the most exciting new announcement—and the one that inspired me to write this blog post—came from LucasFilm just yesterday. They announced that they are forming a cohesive Star Wars canon. The basis for the canon will be the six films and two TV shows, but they will soon be complemented by Star Wars books, comics, games, and more. Everything included in the canon will have to approved by the LucasFilm Story Group to ensure cohesiveness. Star Wars is going to finally become one big story.
Some may find this unnecessary. After all, we’ve had the Expanded Universe for years. There is a plethora of Star Wars stories to read and play through. What’s the big deal about creating a canon? Well, to me, this move solves a big problem that the Star Wars universe has. There are so many stories that one person can’t possibly keep up. There’s no cohesive timeline, and some of the stories even contradict each other. It creates a kind of mess, and now that they’re making more movies, they have to clean it up.
So all of the EU will now be considered “Star Wars Legends,” and the canonical stories will include the movies, TV shows, and anything else approved by the Story Group. The EU can still be enjoyed just as it has been, and the creators of the movies and TV show are even open to the possibility of drawing characters and stories from the EU, but now the official Star Wars storyline is clearer and easier to follow. This is great for fans like me who want to know the whole story but can’t figure out the puzzle that is the Expanded Universe.
So there you go. That’s my argument for why now is the best time ever to be a Star Wars fan. There are so many exciting things happening in the Star Wars universe in so many formats, and they’re forming one cohesive overall story. We’re going to be seeing more movies, a new TV show, and a slew of new canonical books in the very near future. Star Wars fans, rejoice! And enjoy all the cool new stuff that’s coming. Those of you who haven’t seen Star Wars, now is the time. Catch up on the movies so that you can see Episode VII when it drops in December 2015. The Force is strong with the Star Wars universe, and the future is bright. Now truly is the best time to be a Star Wars fan.
So today is Aiden’s second birthday, and I just wanted to write up a quick post in celebration! This boy means the world to me. I can’t believe he’s already turning two. I still remember holding him for the first time. I had no idea how much of an impact he would have on me. I didn’t know I could love a little person so much.
I’m so proud of Aiden. I love watching him grow and learn. I especially love that as he gets older, we can communicate more and more. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for him, and I am so honored that I get to be a part of it. Happy birthday, Aiden! Uncle Dev loves you very much.
This past Sunday, I had the honor of leading children’s worship at Ozark Free Will Baptist Church. We had a good time singing, playing games, and talking about God. I’m very glad they asked me to come. But before children’s service, I attended the church’s adult Sunday School class. We talked about Job, the story from the Bible of a godly man who lost everything but still kept his faith. Mike, the teacher, read from Job 2, and a couple of verses really stood out to me.
“Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him… Then they sat with him seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense.” —Job 2:11, 13 (HCSB)
Job was going through the most difficult time of his life. He had lost his possessions, his children, and his good health, all in a very short period of time. He knew that he hadn’t done anything to deserve all of these terrible things. Job was hurting, confused, and alone. And when his friends came to him, what did they do? They simply sat there with him.
We all have a tendency to want to fix things. When we see a loved one that’s hurting, we want to do something to make their situation better, or say something that offers them some sort of comfort. The desire to help is good, and there is a time and a place for doing things, but sometimes—really, most of the time—what our hurting loved ones need is simply our presence. Not our words. Not our actions. Just us.
Until you’re in a situation where you really need someone, you can’t fully understand how much it means just to know that you’re not alone. Just to be able to look beside you and know that someone is there. Just to be able to look into someone’s eyes and know that they care for you and that they’re there for you. I think we forget that when we’re trying to comfort people. We busy ourselves with trying to find the right words to say or the right things to do when we could be so much more help if we just stopped and sat with the person for as long as they needed.
Being present is hard. When you’re sitting next to someone who is going through something you can’t even being to understand and you see their pain and all you want to do is help, it’s hard to stop and just be there. We live in a world that is so hectic and fast-paced. We forget what it’s like to be completely present in one place for a while. It takes effort. It’s much more difficult than talking. But it’s so important that we choose to be present with people when they’re hurting, because that’s what they really need.
And when we choose to present with someone who is in pain, that’s when we really can connect with them. That’s when we can feel their pain with them and at least get a glimpse of what they’re going through. We can understand them better, and that can be good for the comforter as well as the person who is in pain. It creates a mutuality that words just can’t. It’s a beautiful thing.
I’ve been guilty of not being present when trying to comfort people who are in pain. Especially if it’s someone who is constantly coming to you for comfort, it can be difficult to be fully present every time. But when you half-heartedly try to comfort someone in pain while not being fully present, you actually do more harm than good. Making someone feel like they’re not worth your full attention when they need someone to rely on can not only hurt them but also limit the likelihood of that person coming to you for help in the future. Being present with someone who’s hurting is the most difficult way of comforting them, but it’s the best way, and it’s something we should all try to do.
Recently, a friend texted me needing someone to talk to after a hard day. I knew I could respond in one of two ways: I could either try to offer comfort over text, or I could take the time out of my day to meet up with my friend and actually be present like Job’s friends were. I chose to be present in my friend’s time of need, and I’m glad that I did. My friend felt better after we spent some time together, and I was glad to have helped my friend out. I’m not saying all that to pat myself on the back. I was only doing what a friend is supposed to do. But what I am saying is that choosing to be present with your loved ones when they’re hurting works, and it’s beneficial for you, too.
Being present is rewarding for everyone involved. It shows the person that’s hurting that they’re worth your time and attention. And it helps you connect with that person in a way that you normally wouldn’t be able to. So take some time today to be fully present with your loved ones. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Make an effort to just be there for a little while, and see what happens. I promise you won’t be disappointed.